


butterflies

by zimtlein



Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Aged-Up Character(s), Awkwardness, Established Relationship, F/M, First Relationship, Kissing, Post-Season/Series 03, Relationship Study, Romantic Fluff, Time Skips
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-11-23
Updated: 2019-11-23
Packaged: 2021-02-25 23:20:02
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,607
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21533605
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/zimtlein/pseuds/zimtlein
Summary: Time passes, and their relationship grows with them.Or: five types of kisses Callum and Rayla share.
Relationships: Callum/Rayla (The Dragon Prince)
Comments: 54
Kudos: 603





	butterflies

Her stomach is doing funny things. It has done so before – whenever Callum looked at her with a warmth she didn’t know how to handle. Whenever she caught him drawing her, making her look way prettier than she really is. Whenever he touched her bare skin, even if it was for just a tiny second and out of necessity.

She never really imagined she would sit next to him like this, shoulder to shoulder, his thumb carefully wandering over the back of her hand. Her stomach is doing flips, making her almost light-headed. His scent fills her nose. Around them, the Midnight Desert remains quiet, the only sound present coming from the ambler’s heavy steps. Its whole body is gently swaying from left to right. Nyx’ injured wings are visible on the top of the ambler’s head, hanging uselessly from her back. With the way the moon shines down on them, with Callum being beside her, Rayla begins to feel drowsy.

Goosebumps cover her skin when Callum strokes her knuckle. She holds back a sigh and looks at him. He must have watched her for a while already. The thought makes her stomach twist funnily yet again.

“I’d really want to …” She interrupts herself and bites her lip. “No. I … Never mind.”

“You really want to what?”

There’s a softness to his voice that makes Rayla’s cheeks heat up with embarrassment. The warmth in his eyes is almost too much. Without her really noticing it, her fingers close over his, holding them in place.

“Kiss you again,” she mumbles so quietly that she almost can’t hear it herself.

Callum smiles. She likes the way his whole face lights up when he does, and she likes the way his cheeks redden just the tiniest bit.

“What’s holding you back?” he asks.

Her heart is pounding too hard. She feels dizzy. Instead of leaning closer, she hides her face on his shoulder, her fingers still holding onto his. His scarf smells of him. She almost shivers when his free arm wraps around her, holding her close.

“It’s just a little bit embarrassing,” she mumbles against his shoulder. His fingertips tremble against her side. It’s comforting to know she’s not the only one being nervous here.

“Kissing me is embarrassing?”

There’s genuine worry in his voice. She snorts before sitting up again. This time, her face is closer to his. So close the tips of their noses almost touch. She swallows down the lump in her throat.

“No,” she answers. “It’s embarrassing how much I like you.”

She wonders if it ever will become easy to admit such a truth. She wonders why she is willing to be vulnerable in front of no one else but Callum. She wonders why the feeling of his fingers intertwined with hers fills her with bliss.

“Even though you’re a dork,” she adds.

Rayla hears him laugh. A tiny little sound. Her heart makes a jump.

“A cute dork.” She still feels his fingers on her skin, and she finds him looking at her with something akin to wonder. Her whole body begins to feel too light. “A courageous, cute, funny, caring …”

His lips find hers. A touch that is over too quickly. She instinctively closes her eyes, waiting for the next touch. Chasing after his warmth when he draws away another time. Tiny kisses that leave her stomach in knots. She wants to touch him, wants to bury her hands in his hair and pull him closer and feel more of his warmth, but she doesn’t dare. Instead her fingers dig into his hand.

“You stopped at caring,” he whispers.

“Caring,” she repeats, still not opening her eyes. “Clever. Sometimes.”

“Sometimes?”

With a sigh, she opens her eyes and holds herself back from staring at his lips. “You are right. Rarely.”

He snorts and leans back. She doesn’t want to admit how much she already misses the feeling of his lips on hers. He hasn’t let go of her hand, and instead of kissing him again, she seeks warmth by curling up by his side, leaning against his shoulder.

“I really like you too,” he mutters.

It’s almost funny how simple words like those are enough to make her stomach flare up with warmth. Their fingers are still intertwined, and she looks at their hands, at how perfectly they fit. Thinks about how hard she wants to hold onto him. Thinks about how little she minds that he’s starting to see all of her, every hidden detail there is to see.

She is scared, and she is happy, and she can faintly feel his heartbeat. Just as fast as her own.

“Thank you.”

The sun is slowly setting, its warmth spreading over her skin. Her hand still rests above his. They are sitting so close to each other that their shoulders touch. Along the way, touching him has become second nature to her. Touching his hand to make sure he is still here. Touching his shoulder to know he is by her side.

When she looks at him, she is met by an expression full of warmth and softness. Her heart flutters. It’s amazing that he can still make her that nervous with just one single look.

“I’ll always do anything I can to help you. No matter what.” He looks down at their hands, intertwining their fingers. His thumb stroking her skin.

“Without you, I would have never …” She feels like crying, but that doesn’t matter. Not in front of Callum. There’s nothing to hold back. “I would have never known how brave my parents were. That I can be proud of them. I …” She stares at his hand, wants to get lost in the feeling of them being connected like this. Her eyes are burning. She wipes over them with the back of her hand. “Seriously, Callum. Thank you.”

When Callum wraps his arms around her and pulls her closer, she feels her whole body being flooded by pleasant warmth. She melts against him, giving a shuttering sigh. His hands rest on her back. His breath meets her shoulder. Sometimes she wonders why he even puts up with her, why he does so much for her, and she feels her body tremble.

“Do you want to talk to the others right away?” he asks.

She shakes her head against his neck. “Could we stay like this? Just for a while. Please?”

“Yeah. Of course.”

She doesn’t know when she started to feel at home in his arms. She doesn’t know when she started needing nothing but his warmth to make her aching heart calm down. Without thinking, she starts drawing senseless patterns over his back, up to his neck, playing with his hair. A sudden urge moves her to press a gentle kiss against his jaw, and she feels him jolt in response.

“Oh, sorry!” She quickly pulls back, her face heating up. “I didn’t mean to – you didn’t like that?”

They stare at each other, his hands on her shoulders. His face turns redder and redder. It’s cute, she thinks. It’s so cute that her heartbeat quickens.

“Uhm, that’s not – I was just surprised, is all.”

“Oh,” she says. “Oh. Good.”

With that, she leans forward again. Only slowly so as not to scare him. She sighs when she finally kisses him. She almost sighs again as their lips carefully slide over each other. But she wants to be closer. She wants to give him back what he gives her, wants to show him just how grateful she is, and she wraps her arms around his neck and pulls him towards her. His hands glide from her shoulders to her waist. The touch makes her shiver.

“Is that okay?” he whispers against her mouth.

She doesn’t know what exactly he means, but it doesn’t really matter anyway. Everything he does feels good, simple as that. She nods and kisses him again, the feeling of his lips against hers enough to make her dizzy. Her lips wander to the corner of mouth, to his cheek, to his jaw again. With a hum, she buries her face on his shoulder.

She likes him. It’s amazing to think he might like her, too. For whatever reason. She wonders what she did to deserve such happiness. She hugs him harder, not caring anymore about how fast her heart is beating against his chest.

The sun is almost gone, painting long shadows over the ground. She looks at their shadows joined into one, moving as she sits up straight. Her arms are still around his neck. Her forehead comes to rest against his. There’s a kind of awe shining in his eyes that touches her deeply.

“I’m so glad to have met you,” she whispers.

She’ll never get enough of the gentle smiles that are only reserved for her. “Me too. Without you, we wouldn’t have gotten half as far, after all.”

“Absolutely. You’d have probably given up before even leaving the castle.”

“Hey! I’m sure we’d have given up at the Xadian border, no sooner.”

“Maybe.” She kisses the tip of his nose. Her heart flutters when he blushes. “And here we are now.”

“Not exactly at the end, though.”

“True. Not yet.” She brushes hair behind his ear, her fingertip tracing the line of his jaw. His nervousness is apparent in the way he avoids her eyes. “But whatever we decide on, we’ll make it.”

“Together with you,” he says, looking at her with a shy smile, “I’m sure we will.”

The conviction behind his words leaves a warm feeling in her chest. She closes her eyes and leans her forehead against his again. Their breaths mingle. His hands stay where they are, his thumb rubbing small circles over her waist.

She doesn’t know how to say it with words, so she kisses him again.

She’s exhausted. Her shoulders are tense and hurt, her thoughts are swirling through her head. Ezran needs them, she knows he does, so she shouldn’t complain. But as she comes to rest in the chamber that Ezran gave Callum and her, she’s just so incredibly glad to be alone for a while. She sits down on the bed, puts her head back, and takes a deep breath.

The door opens. She gives a frustrated sigh. When she sees Callum, relief washes over her though. With another sigh, she lets herself fall back into the mattress. She hears the sound of the door closing.

“Hard day?” Callum asks and steps closer until his face appears over hers.

“Yeah. Humans are so stupid. You’d think they’d come to an agreement after that whole Viren disaster. But no, they are fighting over stupid things again.”

Callum exhales soundly and sits down next to her, putting a hand on her knee. “You’re right. Some of them are being unreasonable.”

“Let’s talk about happier things.” She grabs his arm and pulls herself up again, leaning her cheek against his shoulder. “How was training?”

“Exhausting.” He smiles at her. It warms her heart. “But I’m getting better, so that’s something. There are some pretty powerful spells I can do no problem. Just wait for it – one day I’ll be able to beat you.”

“Right.” She laughs quietly. “Looking forward to it.”

“What about you? How was your day?”

“Not that great.” She sighs and rubs her cheek on his shoulder, closing her eyes. “But it’s getting better right now. Thanks to you.”

She only blushes a little bit. But he deserves to know how much he means to her, and she doesn’t look away when he cups her cheek, guiding her chin until her eyes meet his. Maybe she will never get used to the adoration in his eyes. Maybe it will forever make her heart skip a beat, and maybe that’s not even such a bad thing.

“We haven’t had a lot of time to ourselves lately, huh?” he says, his cheeks flushing.

She feels a smile form on her lips. “That’s true.”

“So …” His fingers are about to slide from her cheeks, but she holds them in place, giving him an expectant look. “So, uhm …”

He makes her feel like a goddess. He always does. So it doesn’t bother her to do the first step. A gentle peck to the lips. Another one. He tastes like Callum, a taste that is so familiar, and she kisses him in earnest, feeling his hands cup her cheeks. A sigh escapes him, and the sound makes something inside her stir.

Something pokes her lips. Startled, she pries her eyes open and breaks the kiss, staring at him. He stares right back. A moment of silence passes.

“Oh – I’m sorry,” he stutters, blushing so furiously that even his ears turn red. “That – I won’t do it again, I promise, I –”

“Wait. Was that – your tongue?”

He looks mortified. And she suddenly feels stupid. It’s not like she has much experience with kissing. What they did until now was pure instinct, and it felt good enough. She never dared go further, never even knew how to. She feels her face heat up and resists the urge to hide it behind her hands.

“We can,” she tries, her voice too thin, “we could, uhm, we could try? I mean, is that, are we supposed to …?”

“Only if you want to.” At least she isn’t the only one whose voice is an octave too high.

His hands are still on her cheeks. Embarrassment makes her lower lip tremble. She grabs one of his wrists to anchor herself, digging her fingers into his skin. “You just surprised me, and – let’s try again.”

Her stomach is doing flips, a tingling sensation spreading up to her chest. Even after weeks of being together, falling asleep next to each other, kissing each other; discovering something that new makes her heart beat up to her throat. His thumb shakily strokes her skin.

She closes her eyes and wills her breathing to become even.

“Are you sure?” she hears him mutter. There’s something incredibly vulnerable about his words. His skin is warm underneath her hand.

“Very sure.”

The first kiss is soft, lingering. The second kiss is different. The pressure of his lips is pleasant, and she almost gets lost in the feeling. But then she feels it again – something gently poking her lower lip. She isn’t too sure what to do, but when his tongue – god, she can’t even properly think about it without blushing – wanders over her lip, the sudden heat makes her give a high-pitched sound. She feels him pull away at her reaction, and she quickly wraps her arms around his neck, holding him in place. Due to the sudden movement, her lips open the tiniest bit.

She almost jumps when his tongue slips between her lips, touching her teeth. She wonders if that really is what they are supposed to do, because it feels weird and somehow too intimate and honestly scary. But then his tongue touches hers, briefly and shyly, and she can’t stop another little sound from escaping her.

She faintly notices one of his hands wandering to the back of her head, fingers running through her hair and gently changing her angle until his lips move over hers in a different way, more deeply, more intensely. His tongue starts a gentle exploration. If someone told her beforehand that something like this could feel good, she would have laughed. But right now, she feels a shiver run down her spine, the urge to press herself closer to him almost overwhelming.

She forgot to breathe. Her lungs are screaming for air. She backs away, breaking the kiss, their lips just inches apart. Slowly, she opens her eyes. Her breaths are too quick now, her heart is racing.

“Was that okay?” he asks. There’s something in his eyes she has never seen before, something oddly captivating. Every word she wants to utter slips away again. She clears her throat, trying to concentrate.

“Yeah. Yeah, very okay.”

“You …” He ducks his head. “You liked it?”

God, what a question. Her face becomes uncomfortably hot. “Somehow? Yes? It’s weird, I just – what am I supposed to do?”

“Whatever you want to do, I guess?”

If she wasn’t about to combust in embarrassment, she’d find the way he nervously fidgets next to her cute. Then again, she is not about to give up in the face of a challenge like this. So she leans forward and kisses him. This time, she tries to imitate his actions. It’s weird to open her mouth over his, to let her tongue slip out and touch his lips. He grants her entrance. When their tongues meet, this time with much less hesitation, her whole body shudders in response.

It does feel good, she realizes. As weird as it is, it feels good to have their tongues slide over each other. It’s only an instinct to move her mouth over his until their lips break apart for a second, finding each other just as quickly again. His hand on the back of her head presses her closer. There’s a rhythm to the way they start to move, to the way they kiss. Their noses bump into each other when she changes the angle of her head, but it doesn’t matter. It feels too good. A sound builds in the back of her throat as his arms wrap around her waist, pulling her closer to him, so close she can feel his heartbeat against her chest.

There’s something building in the pit of her stomach. It’s new, and it’s scary, and she breaks their kiss, both her hands on his cheeks. As she tries to catch her breath, her forehead comes to rest against his.

“That was,” she whispers, searching for the right word and coming up with nothing. “Wow.”

“Yeah.”

“Where did you learn …?” She didn’t really mean to ask, because the thought of him kissing anyone else like this makes her stomach churn. Quickly, she backs away a bit, her hands dropping from his cheeks to his chest and staying there. “Or did you … I don’t know, I …”

His face becomes even redder. He looks at anything but her. “Uhm, well, Soren and I talked, and he told me there’s something I should read, and I guess that’s what you’re supposed to do, and I just thought, hey, we could, you know, if you want to, you know –”

She saves him from stumbling over his own words by tapping against his lips with her finger. “Okay, I get it.” No matter how hard she tries, she can’t bring herself to look into his eyes anymore. “So, did you also … Did you like it?”

The response is a shy kiss on her cheek, so gentle her heart flutters. “I really love you,” he whispers against her skin. Everything inside her feels like it’s burning up. His hands on her waist are almost too hot. His lips find a path to hers, stopping just short of kissing her.

“I’ll take that as a yes,” she manages. Her voice is shaking so much that it’s almost embarrassing.

She wouldn’t mind too much to resume what they were doing, but just then, someone knocks on their door. Without a second of hesitation, it gets opened. Quickly, they put some distance between them, their faces still flushed and red. Soren peaks into the room.

“Ding ding, your personal courier service is here,” he says with a wide grin. “King Ezran asked for you, Rayla.” For a moment, he just looks at them, one eyebrow quirking up. “I didn’t interrupt you or something?”

Utter silence. Rayla tries to say something, but no sounds leave her lips, and instead, she can do nothing but helplessly stare at Callum.

“Oh. I see. Sorry.” Soren’s grin becomes a smirk, and his tone makes Rayla want to throw something at him. Preferably something hard and painful.

She clears her throat and stands up quickly. “Great, thanks, I’ll be there. Can you please leave?”

“Sure,” he drawls. “I’ll leave you two be.” His snicker doesn’t help things, and when he closes the door, Callum and her exchange a long look.

“So much for having time to ourselves,” she sighs.

At first, she didn’t like the fact that Callum is taller than her by now. His growth spurt caught her by surprise – it didn’t take long until some tiny inches separated them, and then he suddenly managed to tower over her. As a mage, there is no need for him to be too physically strong, but even his strength doubled. It’s frustrating to know as much when they are training together, but he’s usually too clumsy to effectively hold Rayla in place.

Unless she lets him.

They are covered by the garden’s tall walls, a hidden spot only reserved for them. Rayla’s chest is heaving. Her back is pressed against the wall, her knees are shaking in anticipation. He is taller than her, so tall his whole body shields her from any unwanted sight. He is pressing one of her wrists against cold bricks, a contrast to the heat of his skin.

“Got you,” he says, a smirk on his too handsome face.

She can’t even be angry at herself. Her stomach is in knots. Even after two years, there’s still a funny feeling dancing through her veins. God, she loves him almost too much, she realizes. It’s such an odd thought, something she couldn’t even imagine before meeting him.

“Beginner’s luck,” she answers. Her voice sounds breathless.

“I’m not really a beginner anymore, but all right.”

“You used magic. You know that’s not fair.”

Callum raises his eyebrows. “Not fair? You say that with your mad moonshadow elf skills? You think I’d even have a chance against you without –”

She grabs his scarf – his stupid scarf he never got rid of, because there’re too many memories attached to it – and pulls him closer until he is kissing her. The sound he makes shoots right through her, and her hand rakes through his hair, trying to get him into the right angle.

She forgot that he is taller than her now. Stronger, too. So it takes him apparently no effort at all to pull her hand away and push it against the wall.

Both her hands are trapped underneath his now. Her body is tingling in anticipation. His eyes lock with hers, dip down to her lips, even lower. Her heart skips a beat.

“Are you just going to stare all day?” she huffs, hoping he doesn’t know how much his looks get to her.

“Sorry.” Out of honest, wide eyes, he looks at her again. Rayla has to lift her chin a bit to meet his eyes. It’s infuriating, and it makes her shudder all over. “You’re just really beautiful.”

“That’s so cheesy.”

“You like cheesy, though.”

She rolls her eyes, looks away from him. “Maybe. If it’s coming from you.”

Right next to her ear, he laughs. “You’re also really cute.”

It’s unfair. She doesn’t know when exactly he has become that bold, when he started memorizing every weak spot of hers. She screws her eyelids shut when his lips wander to the tip of her ear, just a whisper of a touch. She feels like she is burning up on the spot. He kisses her ear, her cheek. Her lips. The soft pressure on her wrists travels lower, over her arms, to her shoulders. She will never get used to the soft way he kisses her. To how her heart almost stops at his touches. Her hands sink down from the wall, finding his neck, his chest, staying there. Feeling for his heartbeat. A steady, calming rhythm.

He deepens the kiss. She doesn’t protest, anything but. The wall her back is pressed against can’t cool her down at all. He reaches for her chin, tilts her head until he can explore everything she has to offer. A trembling feeling surges through her, settles in the pit of her stomach. If she doesn’t hold onto him, she’s sure she is going to fall apart, so her fingers dig into his shoulders. Their bodies are so close that she can feel the heat radiating off him. It feels good, almost too good.

His hand hovers over her chest. She gives a choked sound, and he immediately draws back, taking all his warmth with him.

“Sorry,” Callum quickly says, removing his hands from her. His face is beet red. “I shouldn’t –”

“No!” She doesn’t think about what she is doing, grabbing his hand and pulling it back towards her. “I mean, no, it was okay.” She swallows thickly, her fingers shaking. “Really okay.”

He blinks. “Really?”

“Yes,” she says, wanting nothing more than for him to kiss her again, to touch her again, with just as much adoration he puts into every word directed at her. “So, please …”

When he kisses her again, she wants to sigh with relief. His hand finds her waist, wanders higher, wanders lower, and the movements make her desperate for more. She isn’t naïve, nor sure if she is ready for anything more than this, but she trusts Callum with all her heart. Every time he touches her, her skin burns up anew. She presses herself closer, chases more of his taste, her lips moving over his almost frantically.

He breaks the kiss, holding her so close there’s no space left between them. “Rayla,” he mumbles. Something about the way he says her name sends a shiver through her body.

Her heart is pounding. A tingling feeling sits in the pit of her stomach, a feeling she doesn’t dare name yet. It’s still kind of scary, and it kind of makes her want him to never stop touching her. Her hands rub his shoulders, cup his cheeks. She wonders if he feels the same. The words get stuck in her throat.

“Can I …” His words are hesitant, unsure, and she feels his hands on her waist travel over her back, up to her shoulder blades. “If you say it’s okay, then can I …”

It’s been two years. Two years, and it still feels like her heart is going to explode. They’ve taken their time, have never gone too far. Taking it step by step. And she wants it. She wants the next little step, wants to plunge into something new and scary. As long as if it’s with Callum, there’s nothing to fear. She knows there isn’t.

“Please,” she whispers.

She watches the emotions dance through his eyes. The hesitation. He looks at her, his cheeks red, and his hand finds a path over her ribcage, stopping just underneath her chest. She has to close her eyes. Her breathing is getting ragged. He has touched her before, but never like this. Never this deliberately slowly, places that have never been touched before. She almost feels silly. Because she loves him. She does. It shouldn’t feel that new, not after loving him for so long.

Only softly, his fingers trace the outline of her breast, cupping it over her thin layers of clothing. She jolts, presses a hand over her mouth. There’s a sound she desperately tries to hold back. But when he increases the pressure, it slips from her lips, high-pitched and needy.

His movements stop. Only for a second, until she can hear his voice.

“Did you just …” he starts.

“Don’t you dare,” she cuts him off, trying to ignore how his hand starts moving over her breast again, and oh god, how can something like this feel so good, “ask something like that.”

“Just checking how you are holding up.” There’s a teasing, maybe even smug undertone to his voice. She opens her eyes to glare at him, but isn’t prepared for the look he sends her. Awestruck. Full of a devotion she can’t quite wrap her head around.

His thumb grazes a place that makes her toes curl, and this time, she can’t hold back the sound. It’s too loud, so embarrassing that she screws her eyelids shut. But then his lips press against hers again, muffling any sound she was about to emit. His hand doesn’t stop moving though. She can’t tell why she likes it so much. She could melt underneath his touch, right here and now.

“Callum?” someone calls. Ezran, she realizes. Must be something important if he left his throne to search for his brother.

Callum makes a frustrated sound before leaning back, breaking their kiss. He is panting just as hard as she is. For a few seconds, they look at each other, his arms pulling her flush against him.

“Was that okay?” he mumbles.

Her cheeks feel way too hot. She nods, averting her gaze.

“Really?”

“Did it seem like it wasn’t okay?”

“Well. Not really?” He is grinning at her, something like pride coloring his expression, and it’s so stupid and so embarrassing and she’d rather hide somewhere for the rest of the day than talk about it like this. So she fidgets in his arms until he lets go of her.

“Seems like you have some things to do,” she says, patting his shoulder. “See you later?”

His cheeks still a bit reddened, he kisses her forehead and gives her one last smile.

Never in her life would she admit to him that the tingling in her stomach won’t go away. That she’d like him to touch her like this forever. That there’s something just out of reach, and she is about to be ready to finally search for it. If it’s with him, that is.

She tries to calm down her racing heart as she leans against the cold wall.

“Idiots.”

Callum seldomly seems that angry. She sighs, stopping him in his pacing and rubbing his arms. “Look, it’s not like I don’t understand them. I’m an elf. You know, humans’ sworn enemies for centuries, all that crap. Of course they wouldn’t want to listen to me.”

Every word makes his eyebrows draw closer together until he is staring at her with one of the scariest expressions she has ever seen on him. “You aren’t their enemy.”

“You’re right, I am not. But that’s not the way they see it. You’ll see, they’ll come around, just –”

“Aren’t you angry?” he spits, shoving her hands away. With heavy steps, he approaches the bed, sitting down and hiding his face behind his hands. “Aren’t you tired of being looked at like that? You are my girlfriend, for god’s sake. My partner. I hate the faces they pull at you just because you are an elf. What does it even matter? It’s just so stupid.”

She can’t hold back the sad smile. Next to him, she also sits down, putting a hand on his shoulder. When he doesn’t react, she leans her cheek against it. They stay like this for a while. Seconds are ticking by, and she tries to listen to nothing but her heartbeat and his slightly shaky breathing.

“It means a lot to me that you think so,” she whispers into the silence.

He sighs heavily. He straightens his back, facing her in the process, and he takes her hands in his. His thumbs draw lines over her skin, only feathery touches.

“I wish they could see what an amazing person you really are,” he mutters.

She can still remember their first real kiss like it was yesterday. She still remembers what he told her back then. Four years, and her love for him just grew and grew. She never thought it was possible to love someone that much. That she’d need another person more than anything else in the world.

“How brave you are. How selfless. How beautiful, inside and out.” He lifts one of her hands to his lips, kissing one of her knuckles. Goosebumps rise on her skin. “They have no idea about you. All they see is some kind of enemy. They don’t see you. And I hate them for it.”

“Callum,” she mumbles. “Don’t worry. Everything will work out just fine. We just need to be patient.”

Another kiss, this time on the next knuckle. The next. She holds back a sigh.

“I hope it will. You are far too good for them anyway.”

A kiss onto the back of her hand. Onto her wrist. She is still wearing that fancy dress Ezran gave her, something formal for the occasion, and she suddenly feels too hot underneath it. She thinks about simply tearing the dress off. But by then, Callum already pushes the fabric from her shoulder, kissing her bare skin. She shudders.

“I love you, Rayla,” he says, his breath hot against her neck as he is spreading feathery kisses over her skin. “I love you so much.”

“I love you too,” she manages, the words almost getting lost in her quiet moan when he kisses her collarbone.

She feels like she is melting under his worship. Under the way he touches her, the way he tastes every spot of bare skin he can reach. She starts trembling, tiny sounds escaping her. He makes her feel like a goddess. He always does. He makes her feel like she doesn’t even deserve him. She could get lost in the feeling forever, knowing that he is by her side. Showing him everything there is to see, from the hidden depths of her heart to the countless insecurities she’d share with no one other than him.

When their lips finally meet, softly and carefully, she wants to cry.

“Thank you,” she tells him.

“Thank you for what?”

“Thank you for being you.”

She feels him smile against her lips.


End file.
